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21 February 2014

Extortion note to Clark Gable

Throughout his career, Clark Gable received several letters of extortion. In 1937, a British woman named Violet Norton claimed Gable was the father of her daughter and sent him a number of letters to extort money from him. A year earlier, a man from Philadelphia sent Gable an extortion letter demanding $5,000. He threatened to physically harm Gable, if the money was not paid. And there were several other letters, including the following one from an Iowa farmhand in 1938.

On 9 February 1938, 30-year old Gaylord Forsyth from Fonda, Iowa, sent a note to Clark Gable, demanding payment of $1,000. Signing the note, Forsyth used the name of a neighbour, Alice Schnetter, against whom he held a grudge. Forsyth was in love with the girl but she wasn't interested in him, and he later confessed to having sent the letter just to spite her. By the end of February, Forsyth was apprehended by the FBI. He was ultimately convicted on federal charges.

IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE AND YOUR FUTURE THEN SEND ME ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS RIGHT AWAY AND TELL NO ONE OR ELSE! I AM DISGUISING MY WRITEING [sic] BY PRINTING. SO NOTHING CAN BE PROVED. MY DAD IS HARD UP ON HIS FARM AND I AM GOING TO GET MONEY IF I HAVE TO STEAL IT. SAY NOTHING TO NO ONE OR ELSE!

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